Energy: Strategic Clean Energy and Critical Mineral Development Zones

Designated areas receive priority consideration for certain state support, infrastructure investments, and technical assistance. The law links zone eligibility to critical-mineral potential and local energy, transmission, or planning conditions.

What the law does ​

• Requires the California Energy Commission, with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and other relevant state agencies, to identify and designate Strategic Clean Energy and Critical Mineral Development Zones.
• Allows counties, including jointly where a zone spans counties, to request designation; requires decisions on complete requests within 180 days.
• Limits eligibility to areas in counties with identified critical-mineral deposits or production potential and at least two additional qualifying conditions involving renewable generation, geothermal potential, transmission, or regional planning.
• Requires the California Energy Commission to review designations at least every five years and allows updates for changed resources, infrastructure, or economic-development planning.
• Directs relevant state programs to give priority consideration to qualifying projects and assistance in designated zones, with priority for projects using prevailing wages, apprentices, and a skilled and trained workforce.

Who it affects ​

• Counties seeking to coordinate clean-energy, critical-mineral, advanced-manufacturing, or related industrial development.
• Clean-energy producers, critical-mineral developers, advanced manufacturers, and energy-intensive industries proposing projects in designated zones.
• Workers and state-approved apprenticeship programs tied to projects receiving priority consideration.